Start to finish 9 days. This may have been posted before since it is from last June but the last one similar to this I remember was showing a Chevy installation. Well anyway here is the Youtube video possibly again since it popped back up on the Roadtreking.com website. I was curious because I am getting my own B being built (Advanced RV) and being fed video and still photos of its progress and trying to see and detect the differences. Roadtrek stresses experience (work team), quality assurance and testing. I think you'll find the high pressure water spray booth test after enclosure but before interior finishing interesting. I don't recall any other converter having or mentioning that kind of testing. They don't show as much on their interior finishing and nothing at all on their electrical systems.
The one thing that impressed me about RT is the fact that they crash-test a model every so often. This is why you don't see side-facing seats in the RT models because how an impact would damage people sitting there. Other than a high end diesel pusher with monocoque construction, very few motorhomes are as safe in a wreck as "B"s, especially with the 2014/2015 Sprinter updates with the new airbags as options.
The only two companies with Sprinter vans that hint at seat belts on side sitting seats are Winnebago and Airstream and I am not sure they actually have them. The Winnebago ERA 70A plan is the only plan that could intend for a third person be able to sleep in the van and have to sit in a side seat. A lot have ottoman seating with their electric sofa/bed including Roadtrek.
Is there a Roadtrek crash test video? I know Sprinters are crash tested. I haven't seen a Class B specific crash test. There are some brutal Class C crash tests out there.
I don't know how cabinets are secured enough to compare the models other than I know Winnebago does do a lot of stapling to put theirs together. I think all the others provide quality cabinetry screwed together. I generally find Roadtrek just a bit lower quality than Pleasure-way (I think their biggest competitor) but there isn't a lot of difference. From everything I've seen about Class Cs is it probably makes no difference how they are fastened as the back body pretty much explodes in crashes as opposed to monocoque construction.
I haven't investigated what everyone provides in air bags. My 2005 Pleasure-way Plateau and 2011 Great West Van Legend only had the front air bag. My Advanced RV will have the full compliment of air bags including side and thoracic (the one on the seat itself). There are a lot of safety features offered on the Sprinter. I'm getting the full enchilada on that. I haven't investigated what others offer. You kind of get what you get in that regard it seems though I think most are upping their game in that respect. Look at the steering wheel. If you get the button controls on the steering wheel then the company probably decided you deserved the best of the options available if you are going to pay a 100 grand and up for an RV. A loaded Sprinter cargo van ready for conversion can exceed $50,000 MSRP.
The newest safety feature for the 2015 Sprinter is cross wind assist but I haven't found out if it is even available on the 3500 chassis that most all Bs are built on. I have read where it is claimed it is not needed and the bottom loaded Class Bs (tanks) mitigate a lot of cross wind problems.
__________________ Davydd
2021 Advanced RV 144 custom Sprinter
2015 Advanced RV Extended body Sprinter
2011 Great West Van Legend Sprinter
2005 Pleasure-way Plateau TS Sprinter
You got me digging for a RT crash test video, and I've not come up with any... at best a few pictures at fretzrv.com. However, there is an older "C" crash test on Youtube which is downright scary (the slow-motion footage shows the "box" detaching from the cab and moving forward making it impossible to exit from the driver/passenger side, the occupant in the cabover being ejected from the top, and the only thing that isn't thrown around is a stray wine bottle. I do admit, I've looked at "C"s, but the fact that they can turn into component atoms in a significant wreck is something I don't like.
There are crash test videos on Youtube for Sprinter and Transit vans. I saw the Class C video. I've seen still photos of actual road crashed Class Cs and Class As that basically disintegrated. Comedian, Tracey Morgan might disagree with me on Sprinters but the truth is if he were in the back of a Class C he probably wouldn't be here to disagree today.
__________________ Davydd
2021 Advanced RV 144 custom Sprinter
2015 Advanced RV Extended body Sprinter
2011 Great West Van Legend Sprinter
2005 Pleasure-way Plateau TS Sprinter
Roadtrek has always made claims of crash and rollover tests, and had pix of the testing in their literature, but I have never seen anything pictured that wasn't a Dodge, so that is pretty old tests.
I've already seen it. And didn't I tell you that I thought Campskunk had air conditioning inside his new B as now Wendland is having built? Otherwise, that much solar and batteries they are intimating would be extreme overkill. I figured that out already.
__________________ Davydd
2021 Advanced RV 144 custom Sprinter
2015 Advanced RV Extended body Sprinter
2011 Great West Van Legend Sprinter
2005 Pleasure-way Plateau TS Sprinter
I've already seen it. And didn't I tell you that I thought Campskunk had air conditioning inside his new B as now Wendland is having built? Otherwise, that much solar and batteries they are intimating would be extreme overkill. I figured that out already.
wendlands -yes- campskunk-jury's still out. when he tells us he tells us. I wonder what kind of AC. coolcat? sportsmobile has an underflolor AC?
If you had looked at my analysis I did for my B in Advancing Alvar you will readily see 400 ah of batteries would meet all needs and the 600 ah I chose would guarantee that for all practical purposes. I didn't get any disputes to that assessment. 500 ah might be the ideal. I now know I am getting close to 420 watts of solar with Advanced RV's latest release. So if they are loading up more than that as they have said then it has to be for air conditioning use. Odds are very heavy Campskunk has air conditioning whether he wanted it or not. Why would Roadtrek send him out with "secret" testing without air conditioning?
It is interesting. It appears most of the lithium ion battery and air conditioning development is coming from the long distance sailboating contingent the deeper I do research. Could it be they just had more urgency to develop it?
__________________ Davydd
2021 Advanced RV 144 custom Sprinter
2015 Advanced RV Extended body Sprinter
2011 Great West Van Legend Sprinter
2005 Pleasure-way Plateau TS Sprinter
It is interesting. It appears most of the lithium ion battery and air conditioning development is coming from the long distance sailboating contingent the deeper I do research. Could it be they just had more urgency to develop it?
Sailboat owners just have more money.
- - Mike
2013 Airstream Interstate on 2012 Sprinter 3500 tall & long
It is interesting. It appears most of the lithium ion battery and air conditioning development is coming from the long distance sailboating contingent the deeper I do research. Could it be they just had more urgency to develop it?
Sailboat owners just have more money.
- - Mike
2013 Airstream Interstate on 2012 Sprinter 3500 tall & long
The old saying goes the second best day of your life is when you first sail your sailboat and the best day of your life is when you sell your sailboat.
__________________ Davydd
2021 Advanced RV 144 custom Sprinter
2015 Advanced RV Extended body Sprinter
2011 Great West Van Legend Sprinter
2005 Pleasure-way Plateau TS Sprinter
wendlands -yes- campskunk-jury's still out. when he tells us he tells us. I wonder what kind of AC. coolcat? sportsmobile has an underflolor AC?
I wonder how they duct the AC that's mounted "somewhere other than the rooftop." It would be nice if Roadtrek (or anybody else) got rid of the white air distribution thing that that hangs down and takes up precious ceiling height in the aisle. Some companies (like Advanced RV) mount the AC over the bed, where it's not so much in the way. Many companies, however, mount it right over the galley, guaranteeing that tall folks like me bump their heads every time they cook or wash dishes. Even walking down the aisle from the front to the back of the van requires a quick Limbo dance to duck underneath it.
An aside: One of the things that I like most about Advanced RV is that the owner is over 6 feet tall. Their vans have a lot of details to accommodate tall folks, without inconveniencing shorter people. One example: their refrigerator has the freezer on the bottom. That means that a user won't have to bend down low each time they want a cold drink out of the fridge. Bending down low (another Limbo dance) is especially difficult for a tall person to do in a narrow aisle.
You noticed the refrigerator/freezer. I have never figured out why Roadtrek on most of their models has always had a refrigerator right down tight to the floor.
I think most all the Sprinter converters put the air conditioning in the back which would be over the beds in most models. I haven't paid attention to the other brands.
Mike Neundorfer is at least 6'-3" and his wife, Marcia, is short not much over 5 foot. They pay attention to the ergonomics at both heights.
__________________ Davydd
2021 Advanced RV 144 custom Sprinter
2015 Advanced RV Extended body Sprinter
2011 Great West Van Legend Sprinter
2005 Pleasure-way Plateau TS Sprinter
I know Winnebago roll & crash tests all their A's & C's. Don't know about the B's though. I would suspect not as the chassis manufacturer has already done that and the bodies aren't substantially altered.
Just saw Wendland's new CS being built video. I'm curious to see what they are doing for the AC unit too..........
__________________
Bob & Sharon
2019 Winnebago Travato K (2018 Chassis)
Past RV's: 2013 WGO ERA 70A, Chevy PW Lexor
Itasca Navion, 29' Jayco 5th Wheel
I know Winnebago roll & crash tests all their A's & C's. Don't know about the B's though. I would suspect not as the chassis manufacturer has already done that and the bodies aren't substantially altered.
Just saw Wendland's new CS being built video. I'm curious to see what they are doing for the AC unit too..........
only 2 choices i can see. coolcat(that they use in the chevy's) at floor level. if you look caffully at the video when you are looking out from front thru back doors lower right strange looking vent holes-could be there-some trailers have them at floor level using ducted flexible vents.
other option is the one Sportsmobile uses. underfloor compressor-vents in several spots. you could look at sportsmobiles website.
Roadtrek CS Adventurous Being Built
I have never figured out why Roadtrek on most of their models has always had a refrigerator right down tight to the floor.
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